Posts Tagged SUP

Okay, so some of you know that it’s my brother that’s the inspiration for a lot of Hubris cartoons. He’s more outdoorsy than I am, but he can’t draw for beans. So when I get a chance to hang out with him, there’s usually a good chance that something entertaining is going to happen, and I’ll be the only one with the kind of art skills to exploit it mercilessly.

Northern Wisconsin, on a lovely lake surrounded by all manner of cabins and summer homes and all, he and his brother-in-law decided to find out if you could stand on a SUP and be towed behind a motorboat. They were kind enough to give me a turn at it.

The last time I’d tried to stand on anything being towed behind a boat was nearly forty years before. And before I started kayaking much, I was insanely creeped out by large bodies of water (or, more accurately, by what my imagination filled those bodies of water with). That time all those years ago, I learned to faceplant expertly, but I did not learn to ski.

So the chances that I’d do something worth photographing this time seemed pretty high. I figured I could knock out a tooth or something clever.

As it was, my brother said, “Remember to lean back”, which I also recalled being told when I was twelve, so I leaned back.

He didn’t say to wait for the slack to leave the rope, so I hadda climb back on the damned board. Fine.

I stood up. I leaned back at the appropriate time, and I skied along behind a boat on a SUP. I’m told we didn’t go over about 14 miles an hour. When you’re ON the board, though, and have no idea how long you might be there, 14 miles an hour feels pretty good.

I should have put more effort into crossing the wake, and making a show of leaving the board, but that’s what my brother and Doug were for.

For now, you have to look at photos of me not flying off a SUP and into that nest of Cottonmouths they spooked me with tales of back on that lake in 1977.

Then you can look at photos of my brother doing a wildly entertaining dismount.

Nice, right? Look at that form… that style… that weirdly pained expression on my face.

Now, watch this action… My wife (the photographer on this trip) had worked out with Jeff that he would ‘try to get horizontal before he struck the water’.

You want a SUP, but you don’t know what to get? I’ve got a great option for a non-packable, general purpose SUP.

The Surftech Generator AST is an epoxy-coated foam-core board that works well in flat water or mild surfing. It’s stable, well shaped and comes in three sizes.

I got the 11’6” board, which is 31.5” wide, so that my bigger friends could paddle it, but I’m glad I got the bigger board for another reason – kids. I’m only 150lbs, so I can take a dog or a child along without sinking the board. If I had gotten the 10’6”, surfing the boat waves would be more fun, and it would be easier to carry and store, but I wouldn’t have the versatility.

I’ve had the board since May of this year and have put many miles on it. I’ve surfed behind ski boats on it, paddled in 15 knot winds, and glided on glass. There isn’t anything that I’d change on the board for what I’m doing with it except make the grab hole more inset for your fingers.

The wide, stable design has been great for getting beginners out on it. I also have not had any cracks despite the kids playing with it and bumping rocks.

Pros

Lighter than any roto-mold or plastic board

More crack-resistant than traditional fiberglass

Relatively inexpensive ($900)

Has tie downs for longer trips

Cons

Grab hole is not very good when hands are wet

Bottom Line

If you’re not looking for a lake board, or a full on ocean surfer, this is the best combo of weight and durability for the money that I’ve found.